Make your voice heard on Election Day: Michelle Twersky

The choices you make at the ballot box this November will be felt every day.

By Michelle Twersky

As a child, I loved going to the polls with my mother. We would go into the booth together and she would let me pull the lever. That night, I would always try to stay up late enough to find out who won.

I always felt excitement if we helped elect the winner and was disappointed if the candidate we voted for lost. I would think about the day that I would turn 18 and have a chance to vote just like my mom.

However, the year I turned 18, I did not vote and did not vote until there was a presidential race two years later. I was a young adult unburdened and indifferent to local issues.

I did not think much of the non-presidential elections, not realizing that the selection of members of the General Assembly and governor, as well as my representatives on a municipal level affect my day-to-day life.

Statistics show that I am not alone in feeling this way. The United States has notoriously low voter turnout rates for presidential elections and even lower turnout for non-presidential race years.

One recent report published by the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance puts the United States at No. 120 in a list of 169 countries ranked by voter turnout levels. Australia comes in first place, and virtually every other Western democracy is before the United States.

Presidential campaigns are more difficult to ignore than local campaigns. Because of the stream of advertisements on radio, TV and the internet, voters cannot help but be aware of the presidential campaigns. In local elections, there’s much less “buzz.”

On November 5th, we will have an opportunity to vote and elect or re-elect our local officials: mayors, council members, and township supervisors. These are the people who will lead the government in our boroughs and townships. .

While these positions may not be as exciting as president or governor, the people in these positions are instrumental in managing the main departments of our boroughs and townships, including police, fire, education, housing and transportation.

Because the impact of these departments can be felt every day, the choices you make at the ballot box this November will be felt every day.

Voting is not easy in Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania has among the most restrictive voting laws in the country. Pennsylvania does not have same-day registration, online registration, mail-in ballots and other processes to facilitate voting that other states have. It takes a lot of effort for Pennsylvania residents with jobs and family responsibilities to take the time to register and go to the polls.

Despite these obstacles, the truth is, if you do not vote, you do not have a voice.

Legislators and their staff meticulously track where votes are coming from. They campaign in those areas and consider the issues of their constituents who show up at the polls. Every political race affects you—whether it is on the federal, state or local level. Regardless of how you cast your ballot, every vote gives you a voice.

If we want our local municipalities and officials in Harrisburg to help us and our communities, then we have to show them that we are involved in the electoral process. We need to let them know that we care about who represents us and which issues they pursue.

I am reminding you that in Pennsylvania, there is, in fact, an election taking place on November 5th, 2013. Please go out and vote.

Michelle Twersky is the Pennsylvania Associate Regional Director for the Orthodox Union.